There’s a saying being traded around the online business building world, which goes something like this: “Build in the open.”

A sentiment that might lead you to believe that this is a method reserved only for people building products or software companies. Though, I’d challenge you to disrupt the phrase and leverage it for building your brand — even if you don’t have a product idea yet.

Eight years ago when I started this podcast, I had no idea what kind of opportunities it would afford me. I thought I was building my business in the open, but what really made an impact was building who I am out in public.

I don’t want to cliche-it-up and say “personal brand” but I will say it sets your digital handshake. Something that people can see, relate to (or not), and accept if they want to connect with you or not.

This is exactly what Nathan Wrigley of WP Builds has been doing over the last 5 years with his vast array of digital goods. From a podcast, to a blog, to weekly deals — this is how it’s done.

This wasn’t a master plan set in motion after reading 4-hour work week (am I dating myself here?) but a process he’s refined through trial and error. It’s how he met his partner David Waumsely and came across the other voice you’ll hear on today’s episode — Paul Lacey.

One more lesson before we wrap up: What I really enjoyed in this conversation is that content collaboration — which you’ll hear more about soon — is a very powerful tool if you’re trying to come up in this space.

You’ll have to tune in to find out the how’s and the do’s so I’ll leave it at that. Enjoy today’s episode, and please share it on twitter if you have a moment. Share the link to the blog post or a clip from your favorite podcast app.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter, mattreport.com/subscribe as I have a new podcast coming soon — if you can believe it.

Okay, on to the episode!